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10 Wildly Successful Women Who Hustled Their Way to the Top

Do you have the willpower and determination to turn your great idea into a profitable business? Can you lead when no one else is following? Are you confident enough to trust your gut even when the rest of the world is telling you no? Do you have the grit it takes to be successful? Being bombarded with all of these questions can make anyone feel a little queasy with self-doubt and uncertainty but if there's one thing we've learned about success, it's the fear that drives you. And we think it's time you found out how to bottle it, so it can fuel your hustle to the top.

But even if you do possess all of these qualities, sometimes we need a little motivation to push through the obstacles and help us take the high road when the naysayers are bringing us down. Right? So we asked 10 wildly successful women (who each possess these defining personality traits) on what it takes to make it big, and the results are surprising. For one, the struggle is real. And two, the hustle to the top is fraught with hardship and multiple side gigs that are less than glamorous. But thankfully for three, the old adage still rings true; when you love what you do, it doesn't feel like work. Ahead, Jen Atkins, Emily Henderson, Nikki Pennie, Janessa Leone, Kate Somerville and more tell their story of hustle, grit, and passion. Let's do this.

Emily Henderson needs no introduction. With a string of accolades to her name (stylist, author, T.V. host the list goes on) Henderson loves to put her hand up whenever a creative opportunity arises. She's a formidable design force with a tenacious spirit and can-do attitude we all want to possess. Here Henderson shares her story to the top and the dog poop she had to pick up along the way.

On the hustle:

"Umm, I was a dogwalker. I literally picked up poop for a living. It was actually awesome because I love dogs and walking but after a year I realised it probably wasn’t the reason that I moved to New York. I also taught piano, and I waitressed or bartended for 11 years of my life."

On ambition:

"I knew I liked to be around pretty things but I had no skills or schooling and honestly didn’t even know what the possibilities were. I was frustrated. I started taking furniture making classes and I wasn’t very good at it; it was too detail oriented for me. So I figured I’d surround myself with creativity and that's when I started working at Jonathan Adler as a shop girl."

On breaking out:

"The more I try to build a staff the more I realize why I got the job I did and why I succeeded. I hustled so hard and was above doing NOTHING. The people that have worked for me for the longest (the ones that I would die without) are the exact same way. So yeah, I could arrange pillows but I think that working hard, being friendly and easy to work with and showing enthusiasm and a positive attitude is what got it for me. I had no skills or experience but at least I had that."

On the challenges:

"Most of my biggest regrets the last 12 years have been from not really knowing how to run a business, financially. I don’t like systems or protocol but as you grow you have to. So it’s gotten me into trouble and now I just outsource everything, but If I could give any advice to creatives I’d say get your systems down early because the money part of business is so stressful and I really wasted years being stressed out about it."

On mental toughness:

"I don’t know. I guess being flexible and positive. Constantly creative and produce work, even without clients."

On following in her footsteps:

"Produce, produce, produce. Leave your perfectionism at the door and just put your work out there. Get feedback, adjust, move on. Create something unique and universal. Make sure YOU would want to buy your product or hire you, yourself."

On handling rejection:

"I like the quote: 'I don’t know the key to success but I know the key to failure is trying to please everyone.' But also I will say that if you are constantly hearing 'no' and being rejected then there might be something you need to adjust. Could be the product, service or your approach."

On her number one career tip:

"I have so much. Ask for what you want and make sure you are worth it. Just start. Stop putting it off because your website isn’t quite ready yet, or your product needs a bit of tweaking. Your product won’t sell if no one knows you make it. No one will hire you for your service if they don’t know you can do it. Just START."

On her biggest career regret:

"I think that by not being able to find the right people when I’ve been desperate for more help, I’ve realised how much I rely on the people who are right next to me. While the hiring process has been frustrating it makes me want to squeeze my long term people and make sure they never leave me."

On the one word that describes it all:

"C’mon, have you ever met me? I can do nothing in one word. But I’d guess I’d say exhaustion, positivity and flexibility."

When she arrived in L.A. from London as a fashion design graduate, Nikki Pennie thought her career as a stylist was about to take off. But little did she know that her true passion was really music, even though it was "literally the last thing I thought I would ever do in life" she told Violet Gray. "I knew what a musical note was but I probably loved music no more than anybody else," she explained to MyDomaine. "I studied fashion and I thought that would be my destiny." But she took the DJ gig instead and the rest is history. Ahead, the insanely successful DJ and Dior Beauty Ambassador shares her journey of hard knocks to the top and why the grazed knees were totally worth it.

On the hustle:

"I was styling and doing different projects in fashion here but wasn't really loving anything I was doing. Then 3 years ago, when I was thinking of moving back to London, I was approached randomly by a few fashion brands to DJ. I wasn't even sure why I was asked (it isn't as if my hobby was Dj'ing) but I guess I was sociable, fun and could style myself in the brand's outfits.

I called my Brit guy friends that work with DJ's here and they put me in contact with Dave Garnish, a British music producer that was here in L.A. to teach Paris Hilton. He very kindly taught me on the side for a couple of months using European equipment. I was so determined. I lived and breathed it at the time and put all the money I had in the bank into my equipment. I started doing small fashion events and then everything just grew from there. I was incredibly lucky to have the intuition to read a room and to know what song to play next. If I couldn't do that, I don't think I would have gotten anywhere.

I have done so many different jobs along the way from waitressing at a teddy bear shop when I was 15 to working in fashion stores while at university to earn extra money. I was still doing my fashion consulting, styling and projects in the beginning of my DJ career so I could pay my rent."

On ambition:

"All I remember is that when I moved here, I didn't really think too much about how far I'd just moved. If I did, I probably wouldn't have done it. Moving across the Atlantic is quite a big thing. I was fortunate to have a support system here of friends (mostly consisting of Brits) that I knew from London. I don't know what I would have done without my friends. I would probably be back in London right now."

On breaking out:

"Yes there is always hustle involved in anything competitive. I feel if you're a hard worker, reliable, passionate about what you do and kind, people want to work with and be around you."

On the challenges:

"I have encountered so many hurdles to get where I am. That's the thing; I meet girls all of the time that say to me 'wow I want to be a DJ and have your glamorous life' but they do not have any clue with regards to the hard work and determination you need to put in. When I told people I was going to DJ, quite a few people laughed at me. It was tough when I first started out. I remember showing up to gigs carrying my mixer (which is half my size) in my heels and cocktail dress and the sound guys would ask me if I was the DJ's girlfriend!

In the beginning I would come home from certain gigs crying with cuts and bruises all over my legs from carrying my mixer and would cry myself to sleep because the sound engineers were so mean to me. This is not the case now as I am fortunate to work with lovely people and it's more accepting of girls who DJ. Thank god it's the 21st century. There were times when I would think; what am I doing, maybe I should just go and get a 9 to 5 job with stability.

In the beginning, one of my best friends had a DJ mixer that her boyfriend gave her as a present. She loaned it to me to practice on, but she misplaced the plug. I drove around L.A. for an entire weekend trying to find the correct plug so it would work. Also, the job is highly dependent on my technological equipment and I have had situations where my software and equipment has frozen. It happened once at an event with thousands of people and the music stopped. Thankfully the sound team were so amazing and we fixed the problem pretty quickly before anyone noticed but the next day I went to the guitar center with my equipment and literally broke down in tears for an hour. None of the guys there knew what to say to me."

On life lessons learned:

"Never give up, always have faith and feel blessed to have the most amazing family and friends to support you on your journey."

On following in her footsteps:

"Don't ever taken on board anything negative that others may say."

On handling rejection:

"The amazing thing about life is that you never know what will happen. It's full of surprises and you should always be open-minded because you might just end up surprising yourself."

On her number one career tip:

"Never give up on your dream and always remember you are the only person you can rely on in business. I have learned that you're the only person who is in charge of your career and your life."

With the Kardashian clan as her primary client, Jen Atkins sure has her hair work cut out for her. Tending to the tresses of Kim, Kendall, Khloe and Kylie is a full-time job, but Atkins doesn't stop there, of course. The celebrity hairdresser is also the founder of OUAI haircare products and Mane Addicts. In this honest chat she shares the cold-calling and coffee-runs it took to make her big break and some sage sound bites to keep your motivational meter running on high.

On the hustle:

"I was an assistant for years and worked at the front desk at a salon while working at a restaurant at night. I used to grab coffees, fill up parking meters, run errands, etc. I also spent a year making cheesy bread at Little Cesars."

On ambition:

"I had just moved to L.A. so I still thought everything I was doing was so cool. I remember I had to fill up Bette Midler's parking meter one time and I was so excited. I was always really ambitious and willing to take any opportunity.

On breaking out:

"I was lucky enough to assist under Andy Lecompte who really believed in me. He took me on tour with Madonna, which was really like hair boot camp. I used to call all the agencies (before everything was on email) and bug them to let me assist. I went through Allure’s beauty directory and called all the salons in L.A. to see if they were hiring. It took a lot and not everything happened right away, but one opportunity led to another. You have to be proactive and not get discouraged."

On the challenges:

"Most of the agencies wouldn’t give me the time of day when I started and I used to bug the Wall Group until they finally took a meeting with me. It took about 7 months for me to hear back from them. It’s hard not to get discouraged when people don’t respond the way you would like, but I just always kept moving forward and tried to stay positive."

On life lessons learned:

"I learned to really keep a positive attitude and not let the little things get you down. When you are first starting, it’s easy to get discouraged if a client cancels or someone decides to use someone else for hair, but you have to remember that there is plenty of work to go around and you can’t take it personally.

I also watched a lot of hairstylists start to get an ego or success and spend a lot of money. I never wanted to be a stylist with a lot of clothes in my closet and no money in my bank account.

On mental toughness:I think you have to take the emotion out of business. I think moving to LA and having rejection helped to give me a thick skin. I just always made sure I didn’t get a hardened heart and tried to understand that change can lead to bigger and better things.

On following in her footsteps:

"Surround yourself with people who inspire you. Don’t be afraid to take a step back to get a step ahead. Be humble, work hard, and stay positive. And don’t be afraid or ashamed of being selfish. If you’re with a partner or have friends that don’t encourage you or take too much energy from you and your goals, distance yourself from them."

On being frugal:

"Make sure to not spend your money on furniture if you don’t have the money. I’ve moved about 10 times in 16 years and cringe when I think about how broke I was because I needed a fancy coffee table."

On handling rejection:

"I keep a mood board in my office and have since day one. Every six months, I also write down my goals and see how close I have gotten. I think always being your biggest cheerleader is key."

On her number one career tip:

"Encourage and support the people around you. Lifting others up will only lift you up higher. Don’t feel like you have to compete with everyone, there is enough to go around for all of us to be successful. And don’t listen to people when they tell you 'no'."

On her biggest career regret:

"That's hard to answer because I really don’t have any regrets. Everything that happened to me, happened for a reason and led me to where I am today."

Even if you haven't met the girl, you've most certainly seen her hats adorning the heads of some of the world's biggest names. Since launching her hand made hat line in 2003, Janessa Leone has become a favourite among celebrities and influencers. But who could blame them? Her sophisticated designs are timeless with that cool, modern twist we all crave. But being the celebrity favourite didn't come without its hurdles along the way. Leone lets us into her world and how she learned to overcome self-doubt along the way.

On the hustle:

"I was a nanny for several years, which was how I supported myself in the beginning. During that time I also interned for a designer in L.A. I had to commute from San Diego to L.A., which meant I had to get up at 5 a.m. to make the drive. I worked for free and paid my bills through nannying."

On ambition:

"I felt like I was never going to be good enough to do what I wanted to do. I felt inadequate and often felt it would be impossible. It was a very hard time starting out. I didn’t feel like I had what everyone else who already made it had. My plan was always to focus on a few products and do those really well. I wanted to really do something specific at a high level."

On breaking out:

"One thing that helped was finding an area that wasn’t overly saturated and starting there. I was also very fortunate to connect with people in the industry who were very kind. I did my best to be myself and be who I am, and I feel that helped me make real connections with people who were genuine and truly had a heart to help."

On the challenges:

"The biggest challenge was with myself—not feeling adequate, and not being able to feel like there was a bench mark by which I could tell if I was doing well, or doing the right thing. Persevering through that struggle with myself was the biggest obstacle to overcome."

On life lessons learned:

"A substantial lesson I learned was to sincerely believe in what I was doing. Being confident in what I was trying to accomplish and continually refocusing on my goals so that when things came up, I could always go back to them. It’s important to fine tune your vision and your objectives so you have something clear to believe in. That’s what still helps me persevere through difficult times."

On mental toughness:

"Continually remembering your vision and goals, and not wavering in your belief in what you’re trying to do. That’s the best way to stay steady through challenges. I think this is valid at every stage—it’s something you always have to come back to regardless of where you are in the process."

On following in her footsteps:

"Try not to get overwhelmed by everything you have to do to get where you want to be. There will always be a huge mountain to climb. Just take steps every day and focus on what you’re capable of doing that day. Make realistic goals and work towards them every day.

I had a card on my refrigerator for a long time that said 'do something.' I found that inspirational at the beginning because it can be so hard to know what to do or how to do it. The important thing is to continue taking steps towards it even with all the uncertainty that you feel."

On handling rejection:

"This ties back into having a very clear, defined vision of what you want to accomplish and how confident you are in that. It’s easy to bounce back when people shut doors in your face if you have that as your foundation."

On her number one career tip:

"Streamline your goals so that when people ask you to do things that aren’t in alignment, you don’t get distracted. Focus all your time and energy on what you want to accomplish without getting deterred by every opportunity and distraction that comes up.

Be confident that you have something unique to offer and remember you’re the only person who can do what you do in the way that you do it. Highlight the things about you that are unique. Otherwise, you’ll end up trying to do what someone else is already doing and undermine your own value."

On her biggest career regret:

"Career-wise, I can’t think of a specific mistake that ended up helping. Creatively though, I find a lot of value in making design mistakes that can lead you to something you didn’t originally intend. Being in tune with that and allowing a design to lead you somewhere you didn’t plan is a great way to discover new ideas and ways of thinking that you didn’t necessarily expect."

Amber Lewis is hands down one of our favorite interior designers at MyDomaine HQ. Her easy, laid-back California approach is instantly stylish yet completely livable and downright cool. In this chat, the creative shares the determination it takes to build a successful business from the ground up, and why "comparison is the thief of joy" (so don't do it).

On the hustle:

"I painted houses and planned a wedding before striking it out on my own."

On ambition:

"When I first got into design I would do anything to get into peoples houses and help them decorate. This included saying yes to just about anything design related. Paint an entire house by myself, as well as decorate it? Sure! I jumped at the opportunity. I also took on a job once which had me planning and decorating their wedding as well as their house. I was able to decide rather quickly that design only was the way moving forward."

On breaking out:

"You know what, I think the key for me was not trying to open any doors. I tried to just design what I loved, accommodate what my clients asked for, and the rest grew pretty organically. My 'hustle' can be defined as how hard I worked at building my business. I did everything by myself at first and put 100% of my time and effort into making my business the best it could be."

On the challenges:

"Comparing your beginning to other people's middle. It’s often said 'comparison is the thief of joy', and anytime I would compare my journey to someone else's, it would make me analyse what I was doing wrong, or why I wasn’t more successful and bum me out. I basically just had to focus on what I was doing and make sure I gave it my all so my growth was authentic."

On life lessons learned:

"Man, I learned a lot. Trusting your guts is the major take away from that time in my life, as well as what sticks with me today. Anytime I was dubious about moving forward with a certain client, or if something felt wrong, and I did it anyway, I always regretted not listening to my initial instincts."

On mental toughness:

"Sometimes I didn't handle change well at all until I realised it was inevitable. I was flexible and learned to roll with the punches or they will knock you down. Change doesn't have to be a bad thing."

On following in her footsteps:

"Keep hustling. I believe that you get back what you put in, so if you want success, know that's what will happen to you. You have to be a unique person to really follow your dreams, and if you whine about the hard parts, that will do nothing to get you closer to your end goals."

On handling rejection:

"I don’t think that's an easy answer. We are all entitled to deal with rejection and no’s in our own separate ways but what matters is how you move on from that and if you can regroup. Keep focused on your goals and the rest should fall into place."

On her number one career tip:

"Be prepared to work for what you want. Love what you do! If you love what you do it will always shine through."

On her biggest career regret:

"I can't pinpoint a pivotal mistake that helped my career but I think my career has been a series of lessons and trials and tribulations leading to where I am today."

On the one word that describes it all:

"Persistence."

Show Some Grit

Since its launch in 2012, Lulu & Georgia has gone from a startup to a multimillion dollar powerhouse with Sara Sugarman at the helm. The passionate entrepreneur passed on investment offers to grow her company organically, and the decision has paid off. Her fashion forward designs have garnered major celebrity fans (Sofia Vergara, Shay Mitchell and Vanessa Hudgens to name a few) and L&G continues to be a leading force in the interior and décor world. But it wasn't always easy sailing. Here she shares the hustle and grit, and why it pays to be grateful every step of the way.

On the hustle:

"My first job out of college was in consumer marketing for Hearst Publications. The department was responsible for those annoying insert cards in magazines and direct mail offers. I spent a lot of time analysing spreadsheets. However, it taught me a ton of excel work and how to A/B test; skills I still use today.

"I think a hustler is always striving for better. That doesn’t mean they can’t be grateful for the present. But whenever I reach a certain milestone, I’m thinking of the next one."

On ambition:

"At the time, my goal was to go into editorial. I wanted to be a beauty editor and felt the need to make that transition quickly. Through connections I had made in marketing, I was able to get a job working on the editorial side in less than one year. I’ve always trusted in my ability to get to where I wanted to go."

On breaking out:

"I knew Lulu & Georgia filled a niche in the home décor industry, so I didn’t focus on my competitors. I wasn’t in a winner-takes-all market, so instead, I focused on building my brand. However, I definitely hustled to make my vision come to life; to work out the logistics and be profitable."

On the challenges:

"My family is in the rug business and I had worked with my father for a couple years before I started Lulu & Georgia, so I knew home décor well. But I had no experience with e-commerce website development or digital marketing. There definitely was a big learning curve. I also launched with very limited resources so I had to be very scrappy, which I’m now so thankful for."

On life lessons learned:

"I think it’s important to surround yourself (whether through employees or mentors) with people who have experience where you are lacking. Then stay curious and open to learning. Also, patience. There are always a million site improvements we want to make or new products we want to develop. We constantly have to prioritise and decide what we want to work on first."

On mental toughness:

"Usually the tumultuous or uncomfortable moments are when true growth occurs. It’s important not to remain stagnant and to take risks. It can be tough not to become emotionally invested but I try and look at challenges as rationally as possible in order to come up with the best plan of action."

On following in her footsteps:

"Write down your goals and visualize what success looks like to you. I’ve always been able to see what I want and I think that’s helped me create the confidence to get there."

On handling rejection:

"When I first launched Lulu & Georgia, I couldn’t get certain vendors to sell to me. They didn’t take me seriously and it was frustrating. I didn’t see it as rejection but was more surprised they didn’t see the potential. I remember one guy at a trade show being particularly dismissive and it stuck with me. But I knew I’d have my Pretty Woman moment and, sure enough, a couple years later he was knocking on our door, urging us to get the product on our site. He didn’t remember we had met before.

"I don’t see it as courage to go on, you just move on because you have to. People are relying on you and there really isn’t time to feel bad about it or sorry for yourself. If you believe in what you’re doing, other people will come around."

On her number one career tip:

"Practice being resilient. Most likely, your journey won’t be linear and it’s important to learn from those setbacks. The ability to pivot or bounce back is one of the greatest skills in life. And I think a true hustler has their eye on the prize and always finds a way to get around life’s problems."

On her biggest career regret:

"When we first launched, we were super conservative about inventory and were constantly sold out of our best-selling styles. It created a type of frenzy in the marketplace and demand for the product. It taught me about scarcity marketing, and while I wouldn’t under buy on best-sellers again, we have used that tactic in other ways."

On the one word that describes it all:

"Perseverance."

Emily Current and Meritt Elliott, Celebrity Stylists and Co-Founders, The Great

When they're not styling celebrity clients Jessica Alba and Reese Witherspoon for the red carpet, Emily Current and Meritt Elliott are the founders and designers of popular womenswear label THE GREAT. They've also designed several sell-out collections for PB Teen and Pottery Barn Kids. The longtime best friends and creative comrades are a stylish force to be reckoned with but their success didn't happen overnight. Here the designer duo share their personal tale of hard work and fearlessness.

On the hustle:

"In the years we were building our career, we basically said yes to every opportunity. We worked for free. We did favours. We asked for favors. We volunteered our time. We worked nights and weekends. We bartered our creative services for prints for our portfolios, videos for our reels, etc. Every job, big or small, taught us both a lesson in work ethic and helped form our creative worldview."

On ambition:

"We were determined and open minded. We treasured every relationship we formed and we showed gratitude, kept in touch and explored possible opportunities with everyone."

On breaking out:

"Through every job, meeting, and task, we sharpened our point of view. We presented ourselves as confident creative people who were also business-minded. We hustled endlessly, but through kindness, fearlessness, and humility."

On the challenges:

"Finding time to reset and be creative."

On life lessons learned:

"Above being good at your job, be good people. Be trustworthy and thorough. Surround yourselves with other good people."

On mental toughness:

"We would stop and remind ourselves that we are blessed to be able to create for a living. We would laugh at some of the ridiculous things we had to do. We always believed that our career would often take twists and turns to unexpected places, and we needed to embrace the journey."

On following in her footsteps:

"Don’t give up. Know that you may need to find other ways to pay your bills while you learn your trade."

On handling rejection:

"We are constantly looking within to improve our process. We are sponges to both criticism and praise, both of which we use to be better. Every once in a while, we have to revisit what inspires us and how our worldview sets us apart. We know that we must stay focused in our vision, but adaptable to time and resources."

On her number one career tip:

There is no such thing as a small job. Be willing to help with anything. Be resourceful. Have an opinion. Keep your eyes and ears open. Always offer to help. Offer an idea. See things through to the end."

On her biggest career regret:

"Bringing work home with us, which takes us away from our family time. Being your own boss means there is no beginning or end of your work day."

While most of us fear failure and being told no, Kate Somerville basks in it. In fact, she sees all her career mistakes as a blessing. In her own words, the celebrity aesthetician "had a tumultuous upbringing" but she took control of her destiny and crafted a global beauty empire. Do you have what it takes? Here, Somerville shares some of her wisdom and why naivety is your friend.

On the hustle:

"I was a waitress for seven years while I was getting through school. It taught me how to multitask and deal with the public."

On ambition:

"I needed to find something that was more professional and I lived in a small town. Growing up, I had horrible eczema, and I looked for different remedies to solve my own skin issues. I knew what it was like to feel uncomfortable in your own skin and I always had an interest in skincare. A friend of mine, who was a dermatologist, suggested I get into aesthetics."

On breaking out:

"It was a constant hustle. Thankfully I was on the forefront of paramedical esthetics. I just found a need and a niche for what I did and just started doing it. I was naïve, I didn’t look at anyone or anything as competition, I just did what I did. I wasn’t aware of how competitive this industry is and I’m glad I wasn’t because if I knew what I know now I wouldn’t have done it."

On the challenges:

"The biggest challenge was becoming a business person when I was a creator and a healer. I didn’t go to business school and I had to learn how to run a business. As the business grew I continued to learn more. Everything from how to manage cash flow to product development."

On life lessons learned:

"Don’t lose sight of what you’re trying to do. A business will take you over; the sales, the cash flow, etc. If you lose sight of why you’re doing it, it’s not fun anymore. For me, it’s important to connect with clients and stay close to what motivated me to start this—to heal people. Keeping your focus on the mission of what you’re doing is the biggest lesson I’ve learned."

On mental toughness:

"There are, unfortunately, many times I didn’t handle it well, but you just get through it. There were really stressful times and I had to focus and really lean on my family and closest friends. A great mentorship helps as well. These people know your struggle and will hold you up."

On following in her footsteps:

"I know it sounds really dreamy, but you have to have the courage to follow the signs along the way. I really believe in intuition, but you have to be a certain kind of thinker to be aware and open to it. You also need the courage to take the path. When there is a 'no' or a slammed door go the other way. Don’t give up and keep going. There are so many incredibly success people who failed before they made it."

On handling rejection:

"I actually love when someone tells me 'no'. I was always the rule breaker and the rebel growing up, so I always like to prove the naysayers wrong."

On her number one career tip:

"I had a tumultuous upbringing and an unstable home growing up, so as an adult I needed control of my own destiny. For the young women, keep going for it. Don’t rely on a man and always be able to take care of yourself."

On a mistake that helped her career:

"One of my clients, a famous gal, was going to be away for four months. She said; "Kate, what can you give me to make my skin look really good while I'm gone?" So I basically took my mask and I dumped the beads in there, and I gave it to her. Two weeks later, she said; "Oh my God, this is amazing. You have to make this a product. You should call it Kate in a Jar because it's like you're with me."

"So I named it Kate in a Jar. A few months later I received a letter from a big skincare brand and we had to rename it. We chose to call it ExfoliKate. ExfoliKate went on to sell out at QVC and become our #1 seller. The name ExfoliKate has become one of the most well-known exfoliators on the market."

When Jaclyn Johnson cold emailed Garance Doré in 2012 to see if she'd speak at her then relatively unknown event, she said yes. "You never know what you’re going to get if you don’t put it out in the universe," she told MyDomaine. Now Create & Cultivate is a thriving online platform and conference series that travels the country empowering female entrepreneurs. Here the Forbes 30 under 30 shows us the muscle it takes (and the 80-hour weeks), and the benefit of paying it forward.

On the hustle:

"Well I probably need more therapy than I can imagine for saying this but I have always loved working ever since I was little. I had two jobs I balanced in high school; an associate at Banana Republic and working the front desk at the gym. Same in college, I worked at a boutique in SoHo and had two internships; one at a PR firm that is no longer and the other at Condé Nast.

Hustle has always been in my blood. A few internships I had were pushing 80 hours per week, unpaid and I was barely sleeping, trying to survive my twenties in NYC but it taught me so much; what I liked, what I didn't, grit, perseverance and built so many relationships I still have to this day."

On ambition:

"I was interning in the magazine industry with my eyes firmly set on being an editor. I had worked so hard to get that internship (having literally zero connections to anyone) but when chatting with the other interns I found out that most of them had a 'way in' through a dad’s friend or mom’s cousin and so on who had gotten them in the door. It was then that I realized I was going to have to work extra hard to make my way in the world. And now that I have those connections I am always working to be generous with them, to give someone a leg up where they might not have it. Paying it forward."

On breaking out:

"I’ve always said that a majority of my success lies in the follow-up. Doors never open on their own and any woman who is sitting around waiting for that knob to turn, instead of reaching out and grabbing it, will be waiting a long time. You have to hustle all the time. Even once you’ve 'made it.' In fact, I’d say you have to hustle even harder because there is so much more riding on your success.

"Pre or post success, the hustle is hard and it never stops. Once you’ve 'made it' that’s when the hard work really starts."

On the challenges:

"When I was first started out there were companies that didn’t want to pay me what I knew I was worth, even though I would over-deliver. It’s hard to not take that personally because you start to wonder, okay am I really only worth what they’re offering? You have to know your bottom line and when you’re being undervalued. When you’re the founder no one ever tells you; good job. It’s on you to tell yourself and ask for what you deserve. Your worth and worthiness go hand-in-hand."

On life lessons learned:

"Trust your gut and then double-down with advice from those who have gone before you. Also, get it in writing."

On mental toughness:

"Use tumult as the impetus to be better. As easy as it is to blame someone else in those moments, look at where you could have done better and do better next time. That’s all anyone can do.

And find your tribe for the moments when it’s all going to hell. You can’t prop yourself up when you’re falling."

On following in her footsteps:

"At our last Create & Cultivate conference in Atlanta, Meghan Markle gave attendees some great advice. She said: "Don’t give it five minutes if you aren’t willing to give it five years." I think that’s a great way to look at what you’re doing. Because if you’re eating ramen for a cause or a business that you’re not entirely passionate about, you will end up resenting that endeavor. That’sa lose-lose. If you’re eating ramen, it better be for something that you love and you're pouring your all into. Also, I love ramen."

On handling rejection:

"No matter what industry you’re in, hearing no is part of the climb. The sooner you accept that, the easier it is to bounce back after a no. I don’t think that really requires courage, but the knowledge that part of success is a numbers game. For one of our first Create & Cultivate conferences I blind emailed Garance Doré. It worked. She spoke. It was amazing.

There were plenty of other emails that didn’t. It’s important to note that blind emailing is not the same as blanket emailing. If you’re hearing endless no’s, go back to the drawing board of how you’re asking for something."

On her number one career tip:

"Just do it and don’t stop. It’s easy to talk about launching a company, it’s easy to have a good idea, what’s hard is actually putting in the work day after day to make it come to life."

On her biggest career regret:

"Not getting everything in writing early on. But I would not have Create & Cultivate today if I had gone down that other path."

On the one word that describes it all:

"Fit AF."

Rita Hazan, CelebrityColorist, Owner of Rita Hazan Salon

10 / 10

When Rita Hazan started out the term celebrity colourist didn't exist but that didn't stop her from forging a name for herself as the industry go-to. Now the NYC-based colourist is a renowned expert in colour and products with her 5th Ave salon and signature hair colour care line. Hazan continues to innovate and pioneer new and iconic looks on celebrities such as Beyonce, Katy Perry, Jennifer Lopez, Jessica Simpson. Here she shares her journey to the top in a male-dominated industry and the ambition it takes to get there.

On the hustle:

"I don’t think of any the jobs I've done have been less glamourous or easy. I think that everything that I do, I do with purpose and from my heart. Anything I did ten years ago, I would still do today."

On ambition:

"Before this title, when I was just starting out, there was no such thing as a celebritycolorist/stylist. There were some people who worked with celebrities. This wasn’t something that was easy or something that I planned on doing. I just wanted to do good hair and I had a different colour style than anyone at the time. My work was recognised and I just went with it. I wasn’t thinking 'this is what I want to do' or how to plan my life. I just wanted to do what I wanted and what I loved to do."

On breaking out:

"Colourists didn’t get much love and it wasn’t about being a famous colourist, it was more of just doing the job. I think I broke barriers for people because I did what I wanted to with love and editors and celebrities recognise that. I was open to traveling and going to celebrity houses. I was flexible and always available. I think this changed the game because it made celebrities feel special that I would go to their homes, wash their hair in the sink and do their colour. Most colourists wouldn’t make house calls because it’s difficult to know how much colour to bring, etc., but that didn’t bother me."

On the challenges:

"I think it was a boys club mostly. I think women like to have their fun gay man around so to be a straight woman it wasn’t so easy. Also, as a colorist you don’t have much time to get the job done so you have to get it right fast and keep your mouth shut. Colourists aren’t on set all day for touch-up’s, so you have to make sure you do a good job to keep your job."

On life lessons learned:

"I think it is important to never compare yourself to other people. Stay on your true path and stick to what you believe in. Don’t change who you are for anybody and if you believe in something always trust your instincts. Fight for it and don’t take no for an answer."

On mental toughness:

"I think it's all life lessons and you have to keep moving on. I never sleep on bad things. Everything is business and not personal. It is important to keep moving and figure out your next step. You can’t harp on anything that happened, but rather move on and learn to make it better."

On following in her footsteps:

"My advice is learn how to work in a group and with people in teams. You have to be flexible and know that you have to sacrifice a lot from your personal life, such as having dinner with friends. If you get an offer you have to drop everything and go. However, when you are doing what you love it doesn’t feel like a sacrifice because it just becomes a way of life to you."

On handling rejection:

"I always think I’m right, so if someone says no I will never understand that and find someone who will say yes. Not everybody sees what you see and not everybody has a gift to know their craft so well. Alot of people told me I was crazy about my root concealer and didn’t want to work or create it with me so I did it on my own regardless of how many no’s. I created a category in the beauty industry and people copy it now. If I stopped every time someone said no I wouldn’t be in existence. I push through, keep learning. I make mistakes and keep going."

On her number one career tip:

"Work Hard! Don’t look at the clock. Forty hours doesn’t mean anything. Stay focused and focus on yourself. Learning your craft is the best gift to give yourself no matter what it is."

On her biggest career regret:

"I don’t believe in mistakes or regrets. Everything happens for a reason and every situation can be a lesson."